03 October 2004	Sunday	17 Shaban 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 2: Pakistan on Saturday expressed readiness to extend all cooperation to Bangladesh in media development.

"We are ready to extend every possible cooperation to our brotherly country," said Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed while talking to a four-member media delegation from Bangladesh. He said Pakistan and Bangladesh enjoyed cordial relations. "We need to have close cooperation in the media sector to defend our religious and cultural values," he said.

The minister asked the delegation and the Ministry of Information to discuss areas of mutual cooperation and directed that a workable plan should be made as soon as possible.

The minister directed the ministry to gear up work on the setting up of a media-centre in Islamabad, enabling international as well as regional media to have direct access to telecom facilities for transmission of news for print media and electronic channels. The centre would be established on the pattern of one already working in Dubai.

The delegation appreciated the role of PTV channels in properly defending the religious and cultural frontiers and said that cooperation between the two countries would go a long way in furthering mutual ties.-APP